Safe and Sound
by alwayspurple
Summary: Katniss wakes up after the explosion in the Quarter Quell, however, someone is missing. How far will she go to save them?
1. Chapter 1 (revised)

Hey, y'all. I decided to fix up this chapter...I have no idea where I wanted this story to go, so I'm hoping to start it up again?

_1_

Katniss

Everything was hidden behind a thick haze, weighing down on my quivering conscience. I couldn't move a muscle. My eyelids felt like they were being forced closed and super glued shut. Was I even alive? Is this what death felt like? If so, this is going to be an uncomfortable and boring eternity. The last thing I could vividly recollect was that I was in the arena, and then there was a blinding ostentatious flash of light and tons of pain drilling into the depths of my body. What happened to the others in the arena with me? _Peeta_. Was he alright? Where is he now? I need him.

I could hear talking from wherever I was. It was extremely inaudible and I couldn't perceive what was being said. The only thing I could make out was that the speaker was male. Who could it be? There was a muffled beeping noise and a cooling sensation ran up my arm and lulled my body. It was as if my senses were shut off and I fell back into what felt like an unfathomable sleep.

It seemed like my dream had lasted forever. Not a nightmare for once, but a dream. Peeta, my family, his family, and Gale and his family were in it. All the people I cherished, even my old prep team. It was lovely. All I could remember was that we were all running through a blossoming meadow. Flowers were everywhere. Even flowers Gale or I couldn't even name. I ran towards a shadow in the distance, leaving everyone behind. As I closed the distance, I realized it wasn't a what, but whom. He was facing away from me, sheltering his face from me. A tree abruptly shot up from the ground. The man began to sing and everything became silent. There was no way he could be here. He was dead. The mockingjays repeated his gentle tune, the hanging tree. I hadn't heard that song since my childhood. As soon as they finished he turned around. "Katniss." He whispered.

My voice had vanished. I couldn't find the words to speak. What seemed like ages of us staring silently at each other, I spoke, "Dad?" I whispered confused. My voice was abnormally husky.

"Yes, Katniss. I've missed you so much, however you must go back. Everyone needs you. You can't stay here forever, my love." He smiled sadly.

"Go where? I don't want to leave. It is so much better here, you're here. We are safe here. I can't go back." I didn't want to leave this incredible place. No one could hurt who ever I cared for here. I can't go back to that place. Panem. The word tasted like burnt rubber in my mouth. Before my dad could answer the scene changed.

I realized where I was. The pond was exactly like I remembered. This was the place where my father would take me whenever I was little. We would dig up katniss roots, the foliage he named me after. Then he would teach me how to swim and when we arrive home, my mother would pretend not to know me because I was so clean. The old broken cabin still sat on the edge of the pond. I began walking toward it. There was some rustling in the bushes beside me. There was only one person who could make that noise. As a blonde head popped up from the hedge, my suspicions were confirmed, it was Peeta. He had a wide grin played upon his face. Before I knew it he was up against me and pushed me up against the side of the cabin.

"Peeta!" I whispered shocked. Did he realize what he was doing? His hands grasped my cheeks and he leaned down to kiss my neck. "Katniss….' He trailed of and began kissing up the side of my neck and onto my cheeks. "I love you Katniss." He whispered as his lips grazed mine. His breath smelled like icing and sugar cookies. "I love you too Peeta." As I realized what I had said, Peeta had already pulled back. His eyes were shining bright blue and his hair glistened in the sun that had just peaked through the trees. He had a ridiculously huge smirk on his perfect face.

"Come on." He said as he tugged on the hem of my shirt. "We have to talk. Here, in here." He pulled me into the enclosure of the old abandoned cabin. He led me to the back of the cabin where there was an old bench of some sort. He sat down and patted the empty space beside him, indicating that I should sit down next to him. As I began to sit down, I felt hand on my hips and before I knew it I was sitting on Peeta's lap. I turned to look at him with a slight frown. My face must have been cherry red. He merely chuckled. Peeta could act very childish at times, well whenever he wasn't serious.

"So," I said breaking the silence. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh, right, of course. I was content just gazing into your eyes." I threw him another playful frown. He cleared his throat and his face turned solemn. '_Oh no', I thought. 'It's serious time. By the looks of his face it doesn't look so good.'_

Well, Katniss, you see, the thing is… you can't stay here. You **need** wake up and go back to your own world, where everyone needs you."

"Why can't this be real?" I asked. It seemed so tangible, I could feel every little thing from the wind on my face to the little circles Peeta was rubbing into my hands. Peeta sadly shook his head. "I don't want to go back. I want to stay here with you forever." I whined.

"No Katniss." He said sternly, sliding me off of his lap. He slowly stood up and faced me. My face was once again cradled in his hands. "Katniss, you must understand. You can't stay here. Soon this will all fade away and if you don't get out you'll be stuck in the darkness forever. You know what your job will be when you go back. You can't hide from it Katniss. It is your destiny. I promise I will be there for you…always." Tears trailed down his cheeks. I could feel my eyes swelling. I couldn't cry. I never cry in front of anyone. "You must Katniss. Everything will end up ok, I promise. Please Katniss, I can't ever leave you. Surely you must know that by now. The real Peeta is out there, once again waiting for you. Don't let him wait any longer. I need- he needs you." I couldn't hold the tears anymore and I let them run out of my eyes. The Peeta standing before me wiped the tears from my face.

I knew if I went back I would have to play a major role in everyone's lives. Their lives were depending on me and I couldn't die and leave them without anything to fight for. After all I was the Girl on Fire. It was my destiny. "But what will I do?" I asked. I suddenly felt lost; I had no idea what I would do as soon as woke up from whatever this was.

"Well, first thing's first. You must regain your strength. You were pretty badly hurt. You'll know what to do after that. I can't tell you certain things; you must find them out yourself. I can't interfere with the natural balance of things. Do you understand?" He said as he used his thumb to clear my cheeks or tears. I reached up and did the same to his. I had a feeling in my gut that told me I was about to wake up. Peeta began to pull away. "Wait!" I cried out. He stopped and pulled me into an embrace and began to kiss me all over.

"Remember, I'm not real, silly. You should go back to the _real_ me. We should do this more often. _Sweetheart._" he said smirking. _Sweetheart_ was the nickname I earned from Haymitch and Peeta before the first games. I sighed and quickly kissed his cheek. The real Peeta still believed I was just acting our love out for the Capitol, however, that wasn't entirely the truth. During this Quarter Quell I realized I didn't want to leave the arena without him.

I looked up at him one last time before I closed my eyes. At that moment I knew he was mine. He smiled and pulled me closer. I tucked my head onto his chest and closed my eyes. I could feel tugging. It came from within me. It felt like my soul was being tugged back into the world as I knew it.

As I came back into reality I noticed right away I felt extremely fine. There was no aching, no pain, no empty or hallow feeling. I felt like myself, if that was even possible. The only discomfort I felt was the soreness in my muscles whenever I had pulled them. I opened my eyes slowly. The light was rather intense. I guessed it was because my eyes had been shut for a good while. As I grew more accustomed to the light, I opened my eyes up wider. I examined my surroundings.

I was in an all-white room. Literally, everything was white, no joke. White was on the celling to the ground. I was even dressed in an all-white gown. There were absolutely no windows and I noticed the door had no door knob. I began to panic. Where was I? Was I being held captive in the Capitol? My breaths became more rapid. My dream Peeta told me that everything was alright! How was I supposed to save Panem locked inside a room with no visible way out? I felt like I was in the Hunger Games all over again.

The door burst open. "Katniss!" I heard someone yell. The voice sounded very familiar. It was Haymitch, my middle-aged, usually drunken mentor. He let the door slide close behind him and he ran towards my bed. I sort of calmed down at the sight of someone I knew. He looked genuinely caring as he grabbed my shoulders and began to shake me gently. "Katniss! You need to calm down! Take deep breaths." I looked up at his face that was towering over mine.

"What do _you_ want?" I asked somewhat rather annoyed. Why did he come to my rescue? Wait! _Why did _he come to my rescue? Where was everyone! "Why am I here? Where is everyone else?" I tried to ask as cool as I could. I couldn't show my real feelings. I didn't want him to get the wrong feeling. I was somewhat actually happy he was here. He stood next to my bed with his hands on his hips, tapping his foot. I knew what he wanted, and I wasn't too excited about playing happy Katniss. "I'm glad to see you Haymitch." I put on a forced smile. His hands slumped down to his sides and then just stared at me, pretending to be gapping in awe at how I greeted him.

"Nice to see you as well, Katniss." He said with a fake cold shoulder. I could tell he wasn't offended. It's not that I didn't want to see him or anything…..it just seemed strange that he was being nice. Chills went up my spine. Something must be wrong. I have to get it out of him.

"I'm sorry, that was rude. What happened? Why am I here?" I asked, forcing myself to stay calm and collected.

"You mean you don't remember?" I looked at him with a perplexed look. He looked somewhat concerned. "Well, what _do_ you remember?" he asked.

"All I remember is being in the arena with Beetee….at a big tree….and then I remember a big flashing light and my body felt like it was being ripped apart." I continued, Haymitch grimaced as if he was remembering something. My eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "JOHANNA! S-sh-She STABBED ME! She tried to KILL me!"

"Correction, she saved your life, as well as many others." Haymitch smiled. I couldn't see the reason.

"WHAT? Almost KILLING me is NOT saving my life!"

"No, she just cut the tracker out of your arm. You know the one the Capitol injects into your arm before…you know. If she didn't they could have followed us here. They probably think your dead." Haymitch was still smiling and I still had no idea why.

"OH….where is she now?" I asked. I should probably give her my ever so grateful thanks. After all, I'm supposed to be nice to people that save my life.

"Well, Katniss, I'm afraid that is a story for another day. You need to get better. You aren't fully healed." Haymitch's face was wiped clear of any smile.

"She's not dead? Is she?" I asked preparing myself for the worst. Just then I realized I had something much more important to ask. "Wait, where is Peeta?" I asked. Haymitch's expression didn't change.

"He's alright."

"I want to see him, now." I said stubbornly.

"You can't see him right now Sweetheart." He said solemnly.

"Why?"

"Like I said, you need to get better. Maybe in a couple of days he'll be able to come and see you. I assure you. He is perfectly fine. Better than you anyways." He said, there was a kindness in his eyes that I'd never seen before. I looked down at the body I forgot I had. Boy was he right. From what I could see, my legs were splattered with dark, unhealed bruises. "I'm sorry." He said as he reached beside me and pushed a yellow button. I heard a beeping noise and the same cooling sensation ran up my arm and dispersed to the rest of my body. My eyelids were already drooping. The events that happened in the next few seconds confused me greatly. I couldn't tell if it were real or if it was the medicine that was making me have hallucinations. Haymitch gently kissed my head then patted it. He then pulled the blankets up to my chin and quietly exited the room.


	2. Chapter 2 (revised)

_2_

Katniss

As I regained consciousness I told myself that _absolutely no one _was going to put me back to sleep. I was determined to heal and figure out my purpose, regarding what Peeta had told me in my dream. I slowly cracked my eyes open for the blinding whiteness of the room further worsened my pounding headache. I stretched my stiff body, moaning in pleasure at the process. It always felt good to stretch after a goodnight's sleep. I missed that feeling. After my dad had died, and most certainly after the first games, getting a good night's rest was hard to come by. I flung the sheets off the bed and swung myself so my legs dangled from the bedside. I examined almost every inch of my body, finding mostly deep tissue bruising and a certain tenderness when I pressed on my abdomen. Curious, I hitched up my hospital gown only to find a bandage. I ripped it off, exposing a straight line of cautiously placed stitches. There was a knock on my knob-less door, and after a slight pause it slid open. Haymitch invited himself inside, both of us blushing as I quickly covered myself.

"Sorry about that, sweetheart."

"What do you want?" I asked with my oh-so-famous scowl blasted in his immediate direction. After all, he was the one who put me back to sleep in the first place.

"Listen here, sister. Don't you be mad at me. I put you back under for your own good. Now, seeing as you're awake, we can get your testing done and finished with."

"What testing?" I asked, full of suspicion.

"Testing that will get you out of the hospital and hopefully training." Haymitch smiled, knowing I'd do just about anything to get out of this cage.

"Training? Haymitch, what's going on here? You still never told me where we are." What could I possibly need training for? Are they putting me in the games once again? After I had destroyed their little playground, you'd think they would have the sense to destroy me too. I had questions and they needed some answers. "And don't you dare think about putting me under again." I said with intensity.

"Don't worry about that for right now, sweetheart." Haymitch said bluntly. I knew it was no longer a threat for he looked me straight in the eyes as he said it. I could trust him with every ounce of my being. He was one of the only ones I could. Not many were left now. Poor Cinna.

"Okay, I'll ask and you answer." I commanded, taking control of the conversation.

"Yes, ma'am."

"So…after the explosion, what exactly happened?" I wanted the full account. Not the hazy one that played through my mind since I had woken up.

"We flew the hovercrafts into the area and saved…" He paused slightly, recognized the confusion in my expression, and quickly stated, "You know what, let me start from the beginning. It will probably make things a lot less confusing. Just don't ask questions until the end. I would rather not have you interrupt me." I nodded, signaling him to continue. I was anxious to hear everything. "Okay, so right now you are in the hospital wing located under the remains of District 13." I raised one eyebrow and opened my mouth, but was cut off by Haymitch as he continued his tale. "Yes, I know. It's quite bizarre, but some of the members of 13 survived the bombing of the Capitol and rebuilt their district underground, safe from enemy's eyes. How they survived? Beats me. I haven't even gotten around to ask that question myself. Thankfully, they have a superb medical staff that basically brought you back from death. Don't know how they did that either; I'm just _thrilled _you're still alive. But anyways, while you were in the area, a bunch of us were planning your escape, as well as the other victors that helped get you out. You, little missy, were our main priority, however, after you caused that scene with lightning, we weren't sure you were going to make it." Haymitch became sullen and looked down. "When we finally got to you, you were in pretty bad shape, you know…since you were closest to the explosion. You and Beetee were sent straight to the emergency room in the craft where they began working immediately. No one was allowed to see you for two weeks…something about giving you a stupid infection." Haymitch took a deep breath. I didn't dare interrupt, except I did anyways.

"What happened to me though? Broken bones…?" I asked timidly. His body went rigid and I could tell from his eyes that he was remembering something.

"Well, I'm really not sure on all the details. It was classified as confidential information. I tried to get it out of them while you were in surgery, but no alas. I only know it was bad because I saw you lifted up into the craft. Just take it for granted that you're still alive and on the road for a full recovery." I could sense he knew more than what he was letting on to. I didn't want to push him, after all, it was probably better I didn't know.

"Oh….Okay, and what about my mom and Prim? Did you get them too?

"Questions till the end, huh, Miss Everdeen?" Haymitch smirked. "Don't fret, all your loved ones are safely located in District 13."

"Peeta? Where is he?" As soon as I asked the question, I wished I hadn't.

"Well, you see now, Katniss…we couldn't get to him fast enough. The Capitol has him-" I stopped listening to Haymitch. No. No. No. NO. This wasn't happening. He had told me he was alright. I needed for him to be okay. He needed to know. _I _needed for him to know. We were supposed to live happily ever after, right? We were going to put a stop to Snow and the Games once and for all. We were the Boy with the Bread and the Girl on Fire, star-crossed lovers from District 12. The Capitol citizens' favorites. How could Haymitch let this happen. He promised me he would save Peeta from the arena no matter what.

"How could you? YOU PROMISED ME!" I yelled in Haymitch's face. He stood up as the door to my room opened up. Tears were streaming down my face as all my anger flowed into my clenched jaw and curled fists. I was stuck to the spot. Thinking was making my head hurt. It was as if I couldn't think about it at all. Something was trying to block the situation out of my mind and when I tried to think about it, it hurt, like I was thinking about everything at once, but nothing at all. So I decided to just not think.

"Is now a bad time?" questioned the man wearing a white doctor's uniform. "We'd like to take her back for her examination before we can discharge her. I can come back another time, perhaps?"

Haymitch stumbled out of the room, pushing past the man, almost causing him to hit the ground. The man looked at me for an answer. We stood in silence as I didn't think. Just as he was about to exit the room I calmly expressed. "Get me out of here."

The man smiled and assured the process wouldn't take very long if I was indeed ready to be discharged. "Please follow me, dear."

I followed him down too many white hallways lined with more knob-less doors for me to count on two hands. Left. Right. Right again, until we reached our final destination. He led me into another soulless room with an examination table smack dab in the middle of it all. I sat down and the man said something about waiting for the doctor to come in.

I ran through my disorganized thoughts as I waited yet again. Peeta. He was captured by the Capitol. He most likely is being tortured. There was only one thing I could do. I was going to save him. Even at the cost of my life.


End file.
